High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Fullmetal Alchemist light novels are based on the manga Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa. Fullmetal Alchemist began serialization in Square Enix`s monthly manga anthology Monthly Shonen Gangan its August 2001 issue and concluded in June 2010. Square Enix has published a series of seven light novel adaptations based on the series, all written by Makoto Inoue with illustrations provided by Arakawa. The novels follow the Elric brothers on their continued quest for the Philosopher`s Stone. The first novel of the series, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Land of Sand, was used as the source material for episodes 11 and 12 of the Fullmetal Alchemist anime adaptation.